Skirt-measure.



J. MAY.

SKIRT MEASURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 1915.

1,205,240. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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JACOB MAY, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK.

SKIRT-MEASURE.

Application filed July 9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB MAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in. Skirt-Measures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to skirt measures and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Experience has demonstrated that it is unsatisfactory to the average woman to order a skirt from any of the mail-order houses who make a specialty of supplying womens garments upon measurements furnished them by the customer. There is a region in every skirt which, in the mind of women, must fit with the same degree of precision as the waist band. This region is located six inches below the Waist line of the body or waist band of the skirt. Dressmakers or tailors in measuring women have found it extremely diiiicult to get the exact measurements of the aforesaid region and this is by reason of the fact that a slight slanting 0r misplacement of the tape during the measuring operation will result in a wrong measurement being had and an improper fit obtained when the cloth is cut to the imperfect measurement. When an imperfect fit is had in the aforesaid region, what is lmown as the general line of the skirt, has to be altered in order to effect correction.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome this objection by providing a simple device which may be readily used to take the proper measure at the waist line and at the region six inches below the said line, and more especially to permit women using the device to take their own measurements as expeditiously and accurately as if done by others.

With the above object in view the device is in the form of a relatively broad belt having a back panel and front panels with means for securing the front panels together at their edges. Elastics connect the edges of the front and back panels and tapemeasures are secured at one end to one of the front panels, and when the belt is applied one of the measures surrounds the waist line, while the other measure surrounds the body six inches below tne waist line. The panels hold the said measures at proper distances from each other, conse- Specificati'on of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 38,929.

quently when the device is applied accurate measures may be had both at the waist line and at the line located six inches below the said waist line.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the measure applied. F ig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the measure.

The measure is in the form of a belt adapted to be applied around the waist of the user and the belt includes a back panel 1 and front panels 2. These panels may be made of any suitable fabric material. The back panel 1 is provided with end stays 3, and an intermediate stays. These stays may be of flat metal, or whale-bone or any other suitable flexible material. The front panels 2 are provided with edge stays 5, which may be of any suitable material. Securing devices 6 are mounted upon the stays 5 of the front panels 2 at the free edges of the said panels. Elastic side strips 7 are connected with the adjacent edges of the back panel 1 and the front panels 2, and the said strips connected with the same edges of the panels are spaced from each other. Tape measures 8 are secured at one end to the stay 5 at the free edge of one of the panels 2, and the intermediate portions of the said tape measures are guided through folds 9 provided at the upper and lower edges of the panels 1 and 2. Guides 10 are provided upon the lowermost elastic strips 7 and the lowermost tape measure 8 passes through the said guides.

When the device is applied the uppermost tape measure 8 passes around the waist of the person and the lowermost tape-measure 8 passes around the body six inches below the Waist line. Inasmuch as the tape measures 8 are secured at one end they may be drawn taut around the body and consequently, the graduations upon the tape measures which occur at the meeting edges of the panels 2 indicate accurately the measurements of the waist line and a line six inches below the said waist line. As hereinbefore pointed out, it is essential that these measurements be accurately had in order to properly construct and fit a skirt. In view of the fact that the stays 3 and 5 and the folds 9 and guides 10 hold the tape measures 8 spaced at proper distances apart around the body, there is no possibility of the said measures becoming displaced with relation to each other while the measurements are being taken, and therefore, the material which is to be made into a skirt may be cut with precision, and the possibility of mistake or misfit is eliminated.

From the above description taken in con junction with the accompanying drawing it will be seen that a measure of simple structural arrangement is provided and that the same may be conveniently used by a person for accurately taking her own measure.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A measure comprising back and front panels,means for securing the front panels together,elastic strips connecting the front panels with the back panel, transversely disposed stays provided upon the said panels said panels having folds at their upper and lower edges, and tape measures secured at one end to the edge of one of the front panels and trained through the folds of the panel and along the elastic strips.

2. A measure comprising back and front panels, transversely dlsposed stays applied to the edges of said panels, securing devices 25 upper and lower edges, guides mounted 30 upon the lowermost elastic strips, and tape measures secured at one end to the stay at the free edge of one of the front panels and trained through the fold at the upper and lower edges of the panels, the lowermost 3 tape measure being trained through the guides upon the lowermost elastic strips.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB MAY.

\Vitnesses JOHN A. DONEGAN, GEO. A. BYRNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

